18th century programmable computing

[Needa Moment]

Built by a clock maker 249 years ago – but it’s not a clock – it’s a clever piece of engineering, the beginning of computers.

It is truly amazing. Remember this was built in the 1760's.


http://www.chonday.com/Videos/the-writer-automaton

[The Magistrate]

1. Damn, Sir! That Is Flat Incredible....

Thank you for sharing this.

[Lochloosa]

2. I agree. Amazing.

[Needa Moment]

4. Always baffled me

how watchmakers and machinists of that time were able to punch such micro gears and cams, let alone the type and fine tuning in tensioning of it all to run as smoothly as it did.

The brains behind such inventiveness - incredible.

[gordianot]

3. Most excellent, thank you for sharing.

[Needa Moment]

5. My pleasure

My friend always comes up with good ones time to time to send my way.

[NYC_SKP]

6. Recommended!

If I might, I'm reminded of a day when I literally lost my breath in seeing a most remarkable display of technology.

As a tinkerer since childhood, an architect by degree, and an artist by nature, I couldn't resist visiting the clock museum in Geneva one afternoon when I had the time.

It's named the Musée international d'horlogerie.

I was stunned at first by the detail and craftsmanship, shocked by the age and ingenuity of these devices and each part. How did they do this.

Particularly striking, I think, was that not only were these tiny gears perfect in every way, but there were inscribed works, perfectly inscribed into these parts.

I'm certain that it couldn't be done as well today with all the technology we have at hand.

I literally had to walk outside to catch my breath. And, I'll never forget that day.

[vanlassie]

10. " I couldn't resist visiting the clock museum in Geneva one afternoon when I had the time. "

You made a funny!

Seriously, I have been to Greenwich (to see where they "make the time" as we joke in my family) and the timepieces are amazing.

[NYC_SKP]

11. Greenwich! Yes, I'd like to stand at zero degrees longitude!

I like how the people who came up with the system get to pick where on the planet the system ends and begins.

Are you familiar with the story of the Harrison clock?

You might even have seen one of his chronographs at Greenwich.

[cyberswede]

7. That reminds me of the Scorsese film "Hugo"

...based on the book "The a Invention of Hugo Cabret"

So, I googled it, and sure enough, the book's author was inspired by a similar automaton (from 1810).

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/12/27/science/maillardet-automaton-inspired-martin-scorseses-film-hugo.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0

[elleng]

12. Yes, I've been trying to recall the name of that movie,

which I so enjoyed I saw it 3 times!

[hlthe2b]

8. Truly magnificent....

That watchmaker was truly a marvel..

[mnhtnbb]

9. Another 18th Century marvelous automaton

is the The Peacock Clock that was a gift to Catherine the Great of Russia.

We saw it--not working--in The Hermitage when we were in St. Petersburg last May.




Here's a brief video explaining its origin and showing some of it working. There are lots more videos of it on youtube.